Roller.



W. H. WITTROGK. ROLLER. APPLICA'IIOII FILED FEB, 1012.

1,055,1 1 3. l Patented Mar. 4, 1913.

WILLIAM H. WITTROCK, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

ROLLER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 4, 1913.

Application filed February 2, 1912. Serial No. 675,096.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, lViLLmM H. VVrr'rnooit, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at the city of St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented new and useful Improvements in Rollers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in rollers and-has particular application to rollers of that type employed in the trans porting of stone, timber and other heavy articles.

In carrying out the present invention, .it is my purpose to provide a roller of this type wherein shall be utilized means designed to permit the free movement of the roller in the transportation of heavy articles and which shall permit turning of the roller in the use of the latter.

Furthermore, I aim to provide a roller of this type which shall have differential movement to permit deviating of the roller when it is desired to change the course of travel of the article.

The invention has for a further object the provision of a roller of this class which shall embody among other features members adapted for differential movement s o that the roller may be turned about an axis transverse its length.

With the above and other objects in view which shall appear as the description progresses, the invention consists in the con-l struction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter set forth in and falling within the scope of the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification and in whichhas been illustrated one form of the invention; Figure 1 is a plan view of a roller constructed in accordance with the present invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same. Fig. 3 is a transverse section thereof, and Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a detail of the invention.

Similar reference characters designate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the roller in the present instance, includes an elongated cylindrical rod 1 which in the preferred embodiment of the invention is hollowed out, although the same may be solid if such is deemed desirable and may be constructed of any suitable or preferred material.

In the present embodiment of the invention, I have shown a plurality of hollow cylindrical members 2 arranged concentrically about the rod 1 and these members 2 may be formed interiorly with annular raceways 3 designed to aline with similar raceways i formed upon the exterior of the rod 1 and designed to receive anti-friction bodies 5 so as to permit free movement of the members 2 upon the rod 1. These members 2 are independently rotatable relatively to one another and to the rod 1 and are securely held upon the said rod through the medium of annular caps G threadedly engaging or otherwise secured to the opposing extremities of the rod whereby accidental displacement of the members from the rod is prevented. From this construction it will be seen that, owing to the independent rotation of the members 2 relatively to one another and to the rod 1, that the roller, as a whole, is adapted for a differential movement to permit the turning of the said roller about a transverse axis when it is desired to change the course of travel of the article being transported, in which event the members 2 will have a tendency to revolve in relatively opposite directions as will be readily understood, and in view of the anti-frictional mounting of the members 2 upon the rod, it will be seen that the said members present little or no resistance in the operation of the roller.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, the advantages of the construction and of the method of operation will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains, and while I have described the principle of operation of the invention, together with the device which I now consider to be the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that the device shown is merely illustrative, and that such changes may be made when desired as are within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters-Patent is:

1. A portable transporting roller comprising a cylindrical rod, a plurality of hollow cylindrical members arranged concentrically about said rod and loose thereon, and means at the end of said rod for holding the members thereon.

2. A portable transporting roller comf provided with annular race ways suitably spaced apart, a plurality of hollow cylindrical members about said rod and adapted to rotate there'- on independently thereof and of one another andformed interiorly with race ways alining with the first-mentioned race ways,

anti-friction bodies disposed in said alining 20 race ways, and caps threaded onto the ends of the rods for holding` the members thereon.

In testimony whereof I aHiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

VILLIAM H. VITTROCK. lVitnesses:

EDW. G. VIRTZ, JOHN S. MASLANKA.,

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

arranged concentrically 15 

